Station 9: Our transit system

Here is what others have said: Improving Our Transit System and making it more accessible especially outside the City and at the City Limits would be a help in reducing traffic on I-81 or in the proposed Boulevard, whichever is decided. Unfortunately to have a better Transit System than what we have now without a steep rise in fares depends on funding which has not been easy over the years. (Posted on:6/11/2013 11:10:48 AM) We don't have population density to support Light Rail. We do need transportation to the airport. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:12:14 PM) Yes - promote and improve mass transit! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:12:06 PM) Bus ROW on Boulevard with potential to be turned into trolley/ LRT if ridership increases, revamp on track. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:12:00 PM) Concern: Pearl BRT, LRT. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:53 PM) Light Rail doesn't look feasible - too expensive and bus lines are already serving same areas Light Rail would service. Like the idea of more express bus routes. Street car may be feasible - not as costly as LR. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:45 PM) Centro needs an online system map! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:37 PM) Look at LRT in similar sized cities such as Calgary and Edmonton. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:30 PM) Light Rail proposal looks great! Consider later Friday and Saturday times to improve access to the mall and reduce drunk driving. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:21 PM) (1) like boulevard concept but issues need to be solved - i.e. pedestrian link between UH and Downtown. (2) mixed transit and BRT + LRT (3) Shouldn't increase traffic on West St - do not create another barrier. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:10 PM) Light Rail please! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:11:03 PM) Dumb! Plenty of good hms and schools in Syracuse - if they want ambiance, move to Adirondacks. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:56 PM) There is no congestion in the city! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:48 PM) Must have a subway system. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:40 PM) (1) Focus on serving the city in a manner that makes it a feasible and enjoyable option to use public transit and not to own a car. Stop wasting resources on suburban bus routes; they can pay/ provide for their own public transit or simply make a choice to live in the city where it is readily available. If public transit in the city remains so inadequate that it is not a viable option then neither urban or suburbanites will use it. Provide a real alternative to cars. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:33 PM) Boulevard and combinations of the mass transit options seem to be the most efficient. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:22 PM) Would any of the decision matrices used for the feasibility studies be shared with the public? It would be interesting to see what measures were used to assess feasibility within each category. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:15 PM) Would love to see light rail and improved bus options with interchangeable fares/ transfers. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:10:07 PM) Syracusans do not respond well to mass transit. No matter what. It's a car oriented area. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:58 PM) Why not offer parking just outside the city with transit to downtown core. This would help relieve parking issues. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:48 PM) Reality seems to point to BRT, lower investment and good flow. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:40 PM) Mid- high BRT or streetcar gets my vote. I believe usership/ would follow, especially as transit-oriented development increases. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:33 PM) Better night time public transportation can help reduce drunk driving and create greater safety overall! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:26 PM) Just have good pedestrian # - a tunnel is crazy - it's all wetland between the Hill and Onondaga Cr. Great bus service and park n' ride is a swift idea. Less emissions Boston high $ tunnel. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:18 PM) Another thing, I think Onondaga Parkway should go also. Why anyone would want to mess up Mother Nature just to get to work (or leave earlier) is beyond me. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:11 PM) Boulevard and Light Rail. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:09:03 PM) Love the light rail transit! Do it! Provides late night access to Armory and the mall, increases safety from drunk driving and creates easy access to key city points! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:55 PM) I would love more bike lanes. I use the ones on S. Salina in the valley. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:49 PM) Light Rail from airport please. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:41 PM) Light rail - an actual 21st century metropolitan area! Also to suburbs, especially Fayetteville! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:34 PM) Buses to airport!!! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:26 PM) A boulevard and transit (BRT or Light Rail) combo I think is perfect. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:19 PM) An updated mass transit network would totally transform the downtown, city, and region. I say do it! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:12 PM) Based on use and potential for development, something in the mid-high BRT and/ or low-mid light rail makes sense. I'd use it! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:08:02 PM) (1) Like re-route to west (railroad, West Street , or Camillus) (2) Solve 81 S to 690 W problem. (3) Separate pedestrians and cars - Adams Street - crosswalk at interstate ramps? (4) More exits - distribute to more city streets (e.g. Colvin on/ off for SU) [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:54 PM) Mass transit is a good idea but as much as I like it, I don't use it because it doesn't go where I need to be. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:45 PM) This is disproportionately an urban/ downtown issue. The suburbs should have only a minimal role in this decision. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:37 PM) Light rail - good application when businesses are in a capital location. In Syracuse, businesses are in diverse locations. Seems costly. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:29 PM) The Interstate System lowered the city density and caused sprawl. A great mass transit system would bring businesses and people back into the core by keeping parking where there is space for it. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:21 PM) These options are great! I would love to see BRT and LRT in Syracuse. This especially is good for students, kids, seniors, and low income folks who don't/ can't use cars - make our city more livable! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:14 PM) A well considered BRT system would create a much more livable urban community, and speed up gentrification. It also seems cost effective. I love Light Rail but it seems overkill. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:07 PM) LRT - too expensive, lacks population density, auto centric region, street running not compatible since rights of way are limited. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:07:00 PM) Tax payers and utility rate payers are subsidizing a system that benefits SU and SU only. SU is a parasite! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:51 PM) The Connective Corridor bus system is a failure. Existing revenue service has been compromised since those buses have been taken out of service. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:42 PM) Light Rail and walkable boulevard through downtown. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:35 PM) Take it down. Create a pedestrian friendly, landscaped boulevard. Light rail to connect neighborhoods to city center. Turn Syracuse into a real city again. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:26 PM) Bus Rapid Transit system seems best but no matter what option is chosen, there must be lots of publicity, signage and visibility! [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:18 PM) The routes are silly around the HUB! Buses don't need to drive all over downtown before getting on their way. That's what the Hub is for! It adds 10 minutes or more. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:10 PM) Please provide a phased rapid transit plan to village centers - to complement the I-81 plan. This will eventually take the cars off the road. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:06:02 PM) Cities that attract visitors make money. Cities are about walking and mass transit. [Submitted in-person at 5/21 meeting.] (Posted on:5/31/2013 12:05:52 PM) Light rail seems too expensive and permanent an option for a town with no population growth and for a time when technology is changing rapidly, making bus transit a potentially lower environmental impact and cost in the near future. (i.e. driverless electric buses might only be a decade away) Let's go with the best BRT system feasible for our size. Two additions to service not mentioned are also desirable: Can we add a bus between Cortland and Syracuse? Can we add a bus between Onondaga Hill and University Hill? With so much interaction between OCC and SU on the one hand and the Onondaga Hill medical facilites with the University Hill medical facilities, it seems ridiculous that someone has to switch buses downtown and spend a l-o-o-o-n-g time to get back and forth between the two hills. (Posted on:5/28/2013 4:46:42 PM) I support low intensity BRT enhancement. Our bus system is reasonably good but better signage, posted route maps and estimated arrival time notification systems at more of the bus stops would be a great improvement. Using the concept of a prepaid transit card that can be refilled at vending stations instead of exact change would also help. The bus routes to get to and from downtown from most locations are okay. The real problem is if you have to get from one outlying neighborhood or suburb to another that is not on the direct route. The need to go downtown to get back out using the "spokes on a wheel" route is very time consuming. It would be nice to see some "connector" routes that traveled the circumference of some of the wheel between some neighborhoods or towns. (Posted on:5/22/2013 7:43:13 PM) *Bus travel would be more attractive at higher speeds, shorter trip times. *Bus stops spaced at alternate blocks with attractive shelters would boost ridership. *Smaller jitney buses with more frequent arrival times would be attractive, particularly in the urban core. *Buses returning to downtown area should NEVER be "NOT IN SERVICE." (Posted on:5/22/2013 7:08:44 PM) I have always been interested in transportation infrastructure history. The project recommendation to consider light right transit flies in the face of local transit history. Do the authors of that strategy have any idea that at one time there were interurban streetcar lines throughout Syracuse and that you could go to Rochester, Oswego and Utica on interurban rail. All those lines failed before 1950 because it was more convenient to take a car. Think of that. It was more convenient to take a car that was nowhere near as comfortable, that had to travel on two lane roads or dirt roads and was limited to speeds well under 50 mph. Why in the world would you think that Syracuse could support one now? Importantly spending money on that kind of system would mean less money for the existing bus system. That is where money could be spent with the chance that it would be effective. (Posted on:5/22/2013 6:57:05 PM) I am baffled as to why all we have learned from the Connective Corridor project is not mentioned here. Next bus technology and other on bus amenities can have a dramatic impact on ridership. To read these analyses one would not even know that a federally funded transportation and transit project connecting University Hill and downtown exists. (Posted on:5/22/2013 5:07:46 AM) I think light rail could make sense along the Camillus-Fayetteville corridor because this is so heavily a retail corridor, and car travel along it is very slow and unpleasant. If the light rail connected easily to transit to the major employers in the city, it could really be a winner. Otherwise, I think bus rapid transit is the way to go along the improvement corridors. (Posted on:5/21/2013 6:00:10 PM)